Ankara: Turkey has frozen the assets of officials from Yemen’s former regime including ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, along with Al Houthi rebel leaders, the official Anatolia news agency reported on Friday.

The move by Ankara followed UN Security Council sanctions on the same five men for threatening peace in the impoverished, conflict-torn country.

The decision, which was published in the official gazette after having been endorsed by the cabinet, blacklists Saleh, his son Ahmad Ali Abdullah Saleh, and Al Houthi leaders Abdul Malek Al Houthi, Abdullah Yahya Al Hakim and Abd Al Khaliq Al Houthi, the agency said.

The sanctions freeze any assets, bank accounts and safe deposit boxes the five might have in Turkey and will be in place until February 26, 2016, Anatolia said.

Saleh, who ruled Yemen for 33 years before being forced from power in 2012 after a bloody year-long uprising, threw the support of his loyalists in the army behind the Al Houthis.

He was accused of aiding the Al Houthis to undermine UN-backed President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi in February.

A Saudi-led coalition began a campaign of air strikes against the Al Houthis and their allies in March after the insurgents seized Sana’a and then advanced south, forcing the government into exile in Riyadh.

Gulf News